After the first Final Four with all one seed since 2008, two teams have emerged victorious, Florida and Houston. Florida defeated an incredible Auburn team by a small margin with a score of 79-73. Houston beat an excellent Duke team in a nail biter, with the score being 70-67. Both were very exciting games, showcasing basketball at a level that has not been replicated this season. With many future NBA stars on the court, the Final Four was a good preview of what the NBA will look like soon.
This matchup between Florida and Houston has been a long time coming. Both programs have been powerhouses in college basketball since its creation, but they have not played each other since 1973. For 51 years both programs have had their fair share of winning, but they have not played each other once. Florida and Houton both have two National Championships and are looking for their third. They both won their respective league titles and have destroyed their competition throughout the tournament.
Both teams have their own superstars that have helped them win throughout the tournament. Houston has LJ Cryer, who scores almost 16 points per game. He helps turn the tide in each game and uses his prowess behind the 3-point line to outshine any other players on the court. Emanuel Sharp also averages around 13 with 3 rebounds to help the Cougars win. On the other hand, Florida has some incredible players as well.
A Junior from Hingham High named TJ Meade did a great job of describing Florida’s strengths, saying, “Florida has a great backcourt led by Walter Clayton J.R and Will Richard who are mid-major transfers leading the team in scoring and elite shooters.” He is not wrong, with Walter Clayton J.R. averaging almost 19 points and 4 rebounds per game, and Will Richard averaging 13 points and almost 5 rebounds. Another player to watch out for in Florida is Alijah Marten who averages an astounding 15 points and 5 rebounds per game. All of these offensive superstars will allow Florida to be dangerous when they get the ball.
Around Hingham High, people are split on who they think will win the Championship. When describing his predictions, Hingham High Junior Will Crespi said, “Florida is looking really good with an 11 game winning streak. Houston is going to have a tough time trying to beat them.” On the other hand many believe the opposite and think that it would be impossible to overcome Houston’s incredible lines, especially after beating the tournament favorite, Duke.
No matter who wins, this will be an exciting game to watch. This extraordinary game will take place on Monday, April 25, 2025 at 8:30 PM ET.
